List of minor off screen characters
This page is a list of all the characters who do not appear on screen in the Downton Abbey (Programme) but are mentioned by the established characters. The characters in this section are all in alphabetical order, for ease of use. 1st Earl of Grantham The 1st Earl of Grantham was the original holder of the Earldom of Grantham which was created in 1772. He was mentioned by Violet Crawley to the Duke of Crowborough when discussing the Dower House. Both Robert Crawley and Matthew Crawley are direct male-line descendants of the 1st Earl of Grantham. ;Appearances *Episode 1.01 ;Mentions 1st Earl of Grantham's sister The 1st Earl of Grantham's sister was mentioned by Violet Crawley to the Duke of Crowborough when discussing the Dower House. The Earl commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to design it so that his sister could live close to Downton Abbey. ;Appearances Episode 1.02 ;Mentions :See above. 2nd Earl of Grantham The 2nd Earl of Grantham was an ancestor of Robert Crawley. Mary Crawley mentioned to Kemal Pamuk that he brought several paintings to Downton Abbey, including a fifteenth-century picture by Piero della Francesca. Appearances *Episode 1.03 ;Mentions Beryl Patmore's sister Beryl Patmore's sister was mentioned by Beryl Patmore to Daisy Mason following the deaths of James and Patrick Crawley. She died sometime before 1912. Appearances *Episode 1.01 ;Mentions Billy Russell Billy Russell was mentioned by Mary Crawley to Sir Richard Carlisle. He was the son of the Russells, who lived at Haxby Park. His death during the Great War caused his parents much distress, and they decided to leave Haxby Park and sell the estate to Sir Richard Carlisle. Appearances *Episode 2.06 Mention Mr Bromidge's mother Mr Bromidge's mother '''was a housemaid and the mother of Mr Bromidge. She was instrumental in the employment of Gwen Dawson as her son's new secretary in 1914, as Gwen was a housemaid herself. '''Appearances *Episode 1.07 Cora's Aunt Cora's Aunt is the aunt of Cora Crawley and was still alive in 1914, as Cora mentions sending Mary Crawley to visit her in Episode 1.06. It is unknown if she is blood related to Cora. She may be the sister of Martha Levinson or Isidore Levinson or she may simply be the wife of one of their siblings. Cora has a better relationship with her aunt than she does her own mother, perhaps hinting that her aunt is related to her through her father. Appearances *Episode 1.06 Mention Countess of Grantham (wife of the 4th Earl) The Countess of Grantham (wife of the 4th Earl) was the grandmother of the 6th Earl of Grantham and his younger brother and the wife of the 4th Earl of Grantham. She was widowed prematurely, as Murray informs Robert Crawley that the 4th Earl only saved Downton Abbey by dying. After her husband's death she lived at Dower House. She owned Downton Place and it passed into the Granthams' hands from her. Appearances *Episode 3.03 *Episode 3.07 Mr. Cox Mr. Cox was mentioned by Joss Tufton in the 2012 Christmas Special. He was a produce supplier based in Thirsk and was one of Mrs. Patmore's suppliers at Downton Abbey. In 1921 he sold his shop to Tufton. ;Appearances *2012 Christmas Special Fräulein Kelder Fräulein Kelder was mentioned by Edith Crawley to Major Gordon. She was Edith and Mary Crawley's governess when they were children. When Major Gordon was trying to convince Edith that he is actually her cousin Patrick Crawley, she shows him a place on the estate where she, Mary and Patrick used to hide. Major Gordon asks if there was a governess that none of them liked and Edith giggles and says, "Fräulein Kelder." Mary, unaware of this exchange, later says that hiding from the nasty governess would be the kind of memory anybody would expect from a childhood spend in a place like Downton Abbey. Appearances *Episode 2.06 Mr. Gordon Mr. Gordon 'is the husband of an aunt of Robert's who married her in 1860. ;Appearances *Episode 2.06 '''Mentions ' ;Notes * Despite this page being called "Gordon" that is not actually his name; his forename is unknown and his surname is "Gordon." The mysterious person calling himself Patrick Gordon claims to be related to the Crawleys and Edith says that a great aunt discovered by Robert "married a Gordon"; as Patrick Gordon is using the surname as the way that they are related. James Crawley Mr '''James Crawley (d. 15 April, 1912) was Robert Crawley's first cousin and the original heir to the Earldom and family fortune, but he perished in the sinking of the RMS Titanic along with his only son, Patrick. His body was either never recovered or if recovered, not identified. The family has a memorial for him and his son in London and then in Downton. His aunt Violet Crawley was not fond of him, finding him too similar to his mother with whom she also had negative relationship. Appearances *Episode 1.01 Mentions Marmaduke Painswick Mr Marmaduke Painswick is the late husband of Rosamund Painswick. He was a wealthy banker who acquired a house on Eaton Square where his widow still resides. His fortune made Rosamund a very wealthy woman after they married. The social prominence of his family began with his paternal grandfather, a manufacturer, while his maternal grandfather was a baronet. The non-aristocratic roots of the Painswick family is a never ending source of mockery from Rosamund's mother, Violet Crawley, though she prefered Marmaduke to Rosamund marrying Lord Hepworth. Appearances *Episode 2.03 Mentions ''' Reginald Crawley Dr '''Reginald Crawley, Matthew's father, was mentioned twice in Series 1. He died between 1909 and 1912 and was a doctor in Manchester until his death. As he predeceased his cousins James and Patrick Crawley, his son Matthew became heir to the Earldom of Grantham until his own untimely death. Reginald's great-grandfather was a younger son of the 3rd Earl of Grantham. He studied medicine with his brother-in-law under the tutelage of his father-in-law. Dr Clarkson admitted in 1912 that he was familiar with Reginald's work on the symptoms of infection in children. He also treated dropsy of the heart, a process witnessed by his wife, who later encouraged Dr Clarkson to use the same treatment for John Drake despite Violet's protests. ;Appearances *Episode 1.01 *Episode 1.02 Mention Roberta Roberta was mentioned by Violet to granddaughters as being their great aunt and having loaded the guns in the Siege of Lucknow in 1857. Appearances *Episode 2.01 Mention Simmons Simmons was Violet Crawley's lady's maid. Acting odd, Violet suspects Simmons will leave her which she finds was right as Simmons quits to get married. Violet considers this very selfish. Violet asks Cora Crawley help in hiring a replacement for Simmons. Sarah O'Brien overheads Violet and Cora discussing responses to an advertisement Cora put in The Lady which O'Brien mistakenly believes is about her. Appearances *Episode 1.07 Mention Mr Watson Mr Watson was Robert Crawley's valet. He left Robert's employ and was temporarily replaced as valet by Thomas Barrow until Mr Watson's permanent replacement, John Bates, arrived in April 1912. John also moved into Watson's former room. Elsie Hughes mentioned that Mr. Watson left the room in quite a state. Appearances *Episode 1.01 *Episode 1.06 Category:Off-screen characters